Steering machinery.



No. 669,230.. Patented Mar. 5, |901. A. B.`BROWN.

STEERING MACHINERY.

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ANDREW RETTs BROWN, `or EDINBURGH, Scor-LAND.

STEERING MACHINERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 669,230, dated March 5,1901.

Application filed December 11, 1900. serial No. 39,503. (No model.)

T0 all wtmn it may concern:

Be itknown that l, ANDREW BETTs BROWN, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain and Ireland, and a resident of Edinburgh, in the county ofMid-Lothian, Scotland, (whose pos- -tal address is Rosebank Iron Works,Edinburgh, Scotland,) have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Steering Machinery, (for which I have applied for a British patent,No. 12,211, dated July 6, 1900,) of which the following is aspecification.

This invention comprises improvements in steering machinery, theimprovements being such that not only is a con siderably-increasedleverage obtained for moving the rudder when it has to be put hard overto either side, but also such that the machinery may be used for warpingthe ship either along with or independently of steering operations.

In machinery made with my improvements the rudder-head has fixed to ittiller-arms extending fore and aft, steam-gearing being applied to onetiller-arm and hand-gearing to the other. Each tiller-arm has at its enda slot in which is fitted to slide a block upon a short vertical shafthaving on it two pinions, one above and the other below the tiller. Thetwo pinions gear with toothed racks fixed to brackets xed to the deck.At the steamgear end the pinion-shaft has on it a bevelwheel with whichgears a bevel-pinion on a transverse horizontal shaft squared or fittedwith groove and feather, so that the pinion can slide along itwhileturning with it. The transverse shaft is carried in end bearingsand is driven by means of bevellgearing from a steering-engine fixed tothe deck and provided with a controlling-valve and telemotor or otheractuating mechanism. The pinionshaft at the hand-gear end has on it,with a combined frictional clutch, a worm wheel gearing, with a worm ona transverse shaft which is connected by bevel-gearing with the shaft ofthe usual large hand steering wheel or wheels. Friction-clutches of anysuitable known description having adjustable spring devices for slippingunder abnormal strain are provided for engaging and disengaging thesteam-gearing and the hand-gearing- On the ends of the transverse shaftcarrying the worm there are xed warping-drums, which when the steamsteering-gear has been disengaged may be brought into action for warpingthe ship.

In some cases the steering-gear or part of it may be duplicated on theopposite side of the tiller-arms, and when this is thecase the auxiliarysteam-engine is always available for either steering the ship orwarping.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a sectional elevation, and Fig.2 a plan shown ing steering machinery as made-according to my presentinvention.

As shown in the drawings, the rudder-head A has fixed to it tiller-armsA A2, extending fore and aft, these arms being either in one or, bypreference, as shown in the drawings, separate from each other andindependently keyed onto the rudder-head, so that in the event of damagetoeither it can be removed and the other left for steering.Steam-gearing is applied to the arm A2 and hand-gear ing to the arm A',as hereinafter described. Each tiller-arm has at its end a slot A2.(Shown only in Fig. 1 at the end of the arm A2.) In this slot there isfitted to slide a block B upon a short vertical shaft B, havingon it twopinions B2 B2, one above and the other below the tiller A A2. The twopinions B2 B3 gear with toothed racks C' C2, fixed to brackets C2 C4,fixed to the deck. These racks C C2 are by preference each made in threesections, so that on the center portion becoming worn through time thesections may be transposed. Each vertical pinion-shaft B is carried'atits upper and lower ends by a carriage D, made to travel athwartships,as hereinafter described, along the racks. The carriage is made with apart above and a part below the racks C C2, extending to the back of theracks, where it is fitted with antifriction-rollers D' D2, bearing on`the back of the racks, and vthus keeping the pinions B2 B3 in gear withthe racks. At the same time, the sides of the carriage D being open,there is no interference with the movement of the slotted end of thetiller-arms A A2 as they go hard over to either side'.

At the steam-gear end the pinion-shaft B has on its upper end abevel-wheel D2, with which gears a bevel-pinion D4 on a tubular boss ora sleeve D5, turning in bearings in an upwardly-extending part of thecarriage D. Through this pinion D4 and sleeve D5 there passes asquaretransverse horizontal shaft E. The transverse shaft E is carried in endbearings E E2 and is driven through bevelgearing E4 and a secondhorizontal shaft E5 from a steering-engine F, (which may be of anysuitable known constructiom) fixed to the deck and provided with acontrolling valve. The spindle F of this valve is connected to afloating leverF2, one end of which is con nected to a well-known form oftelemotor or actuating mechanism F3, the other end of the lever F2 beingconnected through a rod F4 to the rudder-head A, so that when the leveris moved bv the telemotor F3 it turns on its` connection with the rodF4as a fulcrum and shifts the controlling-valve as required. When therudder A moves by the action of the motor F, the previously-actuated endof the lever F2 acts as its fulcrum, and it is moved through the rod F4,so as to return the controlling-valve to its middle position.

When in actien, the rotation of the pinion D4, as described, turns thebevel-Wheel D3 and causes the pinious B2 B3 and carriage D to travelathwartships on the racks C C2 to either side,and thus to carry the endof the tillerar|n A2 over to that side, the leverage obtained increasingthe farther over the arm is carried.

A friction clutch G, with any suitable known device for slipping underabnormal strain, is applied to the end of the shaft E5, so that. thesteam steering-gear may be disengaged when the engine F is to be usedfor warping, for example, as hereinafter described.

The pinion-shaft B at the hand-tiller-arm end A has on it a worm-wheelG, which gears with a worm G2, carried in bearings on the end of thearms G3, extending ont from t-he carriage D at that end. Through thisworm G2 there passes a square transverse shaft G4, which is connected bybevel-gearing G5 with the shaft H of the usual large hand steeringwheelH or wheels. On turning this handwheel H the action on the handtiller-arm A' is similar to that produced bythe steam steering-gear onthe tller-arrn A2. Forhand-steering a worm G2 and Worm-wheel G is preferred, as if bevel-gearing, such as D3 D4, were employed there would bedanger to the lnen steering. The worm-wheel G is connected to thepinion-shaft B through a clutch J, whichis similar to the clutch G, usedin the steam steering-gear. When warping, as hereinafter described, thisclutch may also be disengaged, so that the worm-wheel will then runidle. A clutch may be provided for disengaging the bevel-wheels G5.

The shaft E5 of the engine F is connected through a hand-clutch H2 andbevel-gearing H8 with the transverse shaft G4. On the ends of this shaftG4 there are warping heads or drums H4 H5. When the clutch I-I2isengaged and the connecting-rod F4 disengaged from the lever F2, theengine F can be operated through a handle J' on the lever, and thus madeto bring the warping-drums into action, so that they may be employed forwarping the ship, or if the clutch G of the steam steering-gear isdisconnected and the clutches H2 J engaged the engine F can also be usedto actuate the hand-gear tiller-arm A2.

Where auxiliary steam steering-gear is also required, the engine withthe gear, as shown ou the drawings, is duplicated on the other side ofthe tille-r-arins A A2, the auxiliary engine in that case beingserviceable for either .steering the ship or warping at all times.

What I claim isl. In steering machinery, tiller-arins fixedto therudder-head and extending fore and aft, each arm having at its end aslot in which slides a vertical shaft having on it two pinious gearingwit h pairs of toothed racks, fixed to the deck the vertical pinionshafts being driven through gearing from transverse shafts connectedthrough gearing and clutches with a motor fixed to the deck and withhand steering-wheels, one of the transverse shafts having on its endswarping-drums, the parts being combined, arranged, and operati ngsubstantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.

2. In steering machinery, tiller-arrns fixed to the rudder-head andextending fore and aft, each arm havingat its end aslotin which Slides avertical shaft having on it two pin ions gearing with pairs of toothedracks fixed to the deck the vertical pinion-shafts being driven throughgearing from transverse shafts connected through gearing and clutcheswith a motor fixed to the deck and with hand steeringfwheels, the partsbeing combined, arranged, and operating substantially and for thepurposes hereinbefore described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

`ANDREW BET'IS BROWN. [11. s]

Vit nesses:

N. URQUHART, FREDERICK PIATTI?.

IOO

